Tracking from SEQ to a DAW

spprw · Post by **spprw** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:09 pm

I have some ideas as to how I should do this, but I'm wondering if there's an automatic way to do this:

I have songs that are recorded entirely in the SEQ mode. I need to record each individual track in these songs to individual tracks within a multitrack DAW. How can I do this so that they don't all start at different times?

I need them all to start together. Is there a way to play the song in the SEQ mode and have the song be recorded into multiple tracks simultaneously?

kanthos · Post by **kanthos** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:24 pm

Yeah, it's really easy. Every track in the M3 should be on a different MIDI channel and you should have corresponding tracks with matching MIDI channels in your DAW, all of them armed for recording. Then, just play the sequence.

spprw · Post by **spprw** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:30 pm

But then only the MIDI data will be sent, right? Not the various piano, drum sounds and samples that I'm playing on the M3. Or am I off on this?

cminor · Post by **cminor** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:51 pm

Maybe it is harder but it is the "professional way" :
Export the song as midi file.
import it on your daw.
split it on channels (almost 10 years of Cubase

make me say: right click on the imported track > midi > disolve part > as midi channels and after that if you want drums to record separated , disolve the drum track as > note.)
make an audio track for each midi track (note) you want to record, set the input... solo on the track you want to play and record it on the audio track you wanted

spprw · Post by **spprw** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:56 pm

thanks, but that seems very cubase-specific. I use ableton and audition.

kanthos · Post by **kanthos** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:13 pm

spprw wrote:But then only the MIDI data will be sent, right? Not the various piano, drum sounds and samples that I'm playing on the M3. Or am I off on this?

Right.

If you want to record to multiple tracks, you need to send your sounds on the M3 to individual outputs. Of course, anything going to an individual output bypasses the total effect and master effects, which may not be what you want.

The part cminor says about soloing each individual track is how you'd probably want to record the audio. Incidentally, you can also set each track's type to BTH and record the MIDI track by track at the same time, rather than importing the MIDI file and splitting it into individual tracks; since you'll have to do this with the audio anyway, why not also do it with the MIDI?

spprw wrote:thanks, but that seems very cubase-specific. I use ableton and audition.

His post should at least give you an idea of how this would be done. As for the specifics, that's what the Ableton manual is for

spprw · Post by **spprw** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:22 pm

OK. I'll try it and see what I can do.

I thought ignoring manuals was what forums are for!

kanthos · Post by **kanthos** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 7:02 pm

The Ableton forums would be a better place for that kind of thing. Like I said, if it was me, I'd record individual MIDI tracks as well as audio tracks, at least if it's not incredibly obvious how to split a MIDI file apart. I've never tried importing MIDI into Live before, so I have no idea what options it gives you.

Ultimate Dj · Post by **Ultimate Dj** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 8:35 pm

spprw wrote: I thought ignoring manuals was what forums are for!

LOL!

yeah...I used to think that too...oh wait! I still do!

Aelfo

cminor · Post by **cminor** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 7:15 am

I think both of them, ableton and audition, have some Timecode midi setting, to use it to start the M3 player in sinc with the timeline of the DAW software.
You simply must set on global, the M3 as external midi , set the daw multitrack to the tempo used in the M3 project, set as Solo each time you want to record each track from M3.
The single inconvenient is that you must insert a blank measure on the M3 seq to be sure that it doesn't start the sound on the first measure.
it is save to record a blank measure , because of the latency of the audiocard

gjvti · Post by **gjvti** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:07 am

On Ableton just drag midi file on timeline starting from which track you prefer - it does the rest automatically. Ableton doesn't loves to be slave when syncing with external device especially if tempo is changing. But generally it works in both slave and master mode. Ableton doesn't support sysex so this is quite limitation when working with m3 midi in Ableton. Don't know about Audition.

cminor · Post by **cminor** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:00 am

both DAW support Midi Timecode sinc.
and you should set the DAW as master not as slave...

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:20 am

In short, set up the M3 as the clock/sync slave and Ableton as the master.

One at a time, soloing (or muting all the others) each track, you should be able to record the audio into your DAW (Cubase will do this, Logic will do this, I believe Ableton will do this too). Because you are using Ableton or another DAW's clock as the master, make sure you have the tempo set right.

Basically if you have it set up correctly, you should be able to get the M3's sequencer to start at the same time as you start your DAW for recording.

Shakil · Post by **Shakil** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:05 am

If you want all 16 channels recorded in DAW at the same time.. then get the Motif with firewire card option.

mystic sAge · Post by **mystic sAge** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 1:39 am

Well, I'm new here but since I run a pro studio I'm an expert at this.

What you need to do is slave the M3 sequencer to your DAW sequencer/multi track via MTC (midi time code)

Make sure the frame rates match, and also be sure to program a 5 to 10 second offset in the DAW so that you have some breathing room later for pre-roll.

Then simply trigger the M3 sequencer again and again and record seperate passes of 1 mono track each time, or 2 tracks for stereo.

I just learned here that when you route to individual outputs on the M3 that the FX mode is turned off. That SUCKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh well, I guess I'll have to run seperate passes as well.